Youth.Mentors.Create. (LdE Opportunity Mentorships)

Jugend.Paten.Schafft. promotes Learning through Engagement (LdE) at schools nationwide in Germany, relying on the concept of opportunity sponsorships: students take on sponsorships for people outside their usual life environment as part of their lessons. In doing so, they gain insight into new life realities, build relationships, and develop empathy as well as a sense of responsibility. Through guided reflection phases, academic learning and social engagement are linked, enabling young people to recognize mechanisms of discrimination, address social inequality, and strengthen democratic action competence. The program supports schools in embedding LdE sustainably into school development and curricula, thereby enabling equitable participation for all children and young people.

Eligible for funding are educational institutions that implement engagement projects in lessons or elective courses and wish to establish LdE opportunity sponsorships. The Learning through Engagement Foundation – Service-Learning in Germany (SLIDE gGmbH) provides an unlimited grant for this purpose and supports teachers and school administrators in all phases: from conception through practical implementation to evaluation. Internal LdE competence centers within the nationwide network offer consultation, workshops, and regional exchange formats. Contact inquiries are welcome at any time to discuss individual project plans and to plan the introduction of sponsorships as a fixed component of school development. Jugend.Paten.Schafft. is aimed at all schools that promote social participation, advance democracy education, and want to enable young people to take responsibility independently.